Visiting Uncle Zathizzzz

Writers: AL, Anaria
Date Posted: 11th August 2011

Characters: Lyranel, Zathris, Ailnim
Description: Lyranel takes Ailnim to visit Lord Zathris
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 3 of Turn 6

Zathris

"The Lord Holder wishes to see his nephew, Lyranel," came the voice of
one of the drudges from the hall.

"Of course," Lyranel said, smiling at the drudge. "C'mon Ailnim, you
want to go see Uncle Zathris?"

"Zathizzz?" Ailnim said, his interest piqued by the man's name. He
nodded excitedly.

"Well come on there, little one," Lyranel said, picking him up. He
locked his arms about her neck as she got him settled on her hip. She
had settled into a comfortable arrangement tending for Ailnim, who was
a surprisingly bright child. He had been prone to destructive fits
when she'd taken over his care, but she was beginning to channel that
energy into little games that she'd invented for him to play.

She walked quickly to the Lord Holder's office, and entered. "You
asked to see us, my Lord?" She greeted, curtsying as best as she could
with the child in her arms.

"Lyranel, Ailnim, hello big guy." Zathris opened his arms for the
child and waited for the little boy to squirm out of Lyranel's arms
and jump into his own. "Oof...I think you've gotten twice as big
since I last saw you." Which had only been the day prior. Zathris
turned the boy and set him on his knee, then set about tickling him.
"He been keeping you busy?"

"Very much so, we've been inventing little games to keep us both
busy," Lyranel explained. "It's wonderful how any task, no matter how
mundane, can be made fun for a child if you can make some sort of a
game for them. I convince him to help with the laundry by making it
into a competition for who can sort things into piles faster. He needs
help with it, of course, but it keeps him occupied."

"Sounds like a good idea. Doesn't hurt a man to help with the
laundry, does it now?" Zathris seemed more than happy to be a
mountain for the little boy to climb, even if it meant a knee in the
face, or his hair getting pulled. "And he seems to have taken to
you."

"He has. I think he just wanted more attention than he was able to get
from his wet nurse, who had other little ones to tend to. He's very
stubborn and strong willed, he's not afraid to act out when he wants
attention."

Wet nurse. That idea just seemed odd to Zathris, though it was a
common thing among those of high rank. It was not something he wanted
for his own children. He wanted his family to be different from the
rest of those who were in similar positions. "I'm glad he's got you
to give him more attention. So tell me, how have you been doing
Lyranel?"

"Pretty good," Lyranel said, after a moment of thought. "I'm getting a
lot better at reading and writing, and I've started being able to add
and subtract figures in my head. Some of the ladies at the Hold have
runners they aren't riding, and they let me take them out for exercise
from time to time. It's so much more than I could have ever expected
for myself. What about you, my lord? How have you been?"

"Good, glad you're getting out to do something besides taking care of
him. You need that." Zathris wasn't opposed to women doing things
they enjoyed. Shards, they had as important jobs even if they didn't
craft - ones that were quite stressful. "I've been doing well, can't
complain." He grinned. "You should check with the harpers for some
things to read. We have a collection of books here. You'll probably
have to read them where they're stored rather than take them to your
room, but it would be good practise - and fun."

"Really, what sort of books do the Harpers write?" Lyranel asked. "The
only books I've really seen are the ledgers and the ones that they
mark the births and deaths in." It seemed like an odd pursuit to
Lyranel to read because she wanted to, and not because they had to.

"There are stories too. Histories of the Hold, even some of the Weyr,
and there are some that are just completely made up, though those are
in the minority." Zathris knew that paper was too expensive to devote
entirely to made up stories. "I find the histories quite intriguing,
more so than the fiction, to be honest."

"Yeah?" Lyranel asked. "I've never learned much about Hold history,
the two cotholds that I lived in had only been around for fifty turns
or less. What sort of interesting things are in a Hold like Amber
Hill's History?" She was sure that the Lord Holder would like to
regale her with tales of his Hold.

"Frankly, I would be a poor story teller and there are far too many
interesting details I might forget." Zathris admitted then turned
Ailnim upside down and threw the boy over his shoulder, causing the
boy to giggle happily. "But there are some journals in there too,
handwritten ones. One woman even kept a journal on old hides. She
enjoyed writing and it seemed to help her express herself. There's
also the history of life before women were banned from crafting."

Lyranel's eyes widened. "Women could craft?" She asked. "My Da told me
that Crafting had been forbidden for women forever. Can... can women
craft now?" She asked. She didn't think she'd craft even if she would
be allowed to, not with as happy as she was at the Hold. Still, it was
nice to have options.

"Some women can. There are women Technicians. There are women
crafters at the Weyr." Zathris took note of the young woman's
reaction. Would she want to craft if given the chance. "You should
read about it. If you ever get the chance to go to the Weyr, you can
meet some of the women crafters."

"The Weyr!" Lyranel exclaimed, her eyes widening even further. "Oh, I
would love to visit the Weyr, but I don't know how I would ever get
there. It is rather too far to walk, isn't it?" She asked. "And I fear
I don't know any dragonriders, save the one who brought me here."

"Sometimes there are others who need to take trips. If you look into
it, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone." Zathris suggested.
"Or, if you prefer to take a longer trip, I'm sure you could work out
something with the tithing train."

"Do... do you think that Lady Benani would let me? I mean, with her
being pregnant, I know that she's needed me around far more recently,
and I _know_ she'll need help after those babies are born. I'd hate to
leave he hanging just to fulfill my silly little whim," Lyranel said.

"Why not? Just request it and make sure that you have someone to care
for Ailnim and help her in your absence." Zathris thought the young
woman should get out and see more. It would do her good. "You let
her know I suggested it even. Just don't stay away _too_ long. We
like having you around."

Lyranel's face flushed bright crimson at the Lord Holder's compliment.
"Thank you sir, that means a lot coming from you," she said. "I like
having you around too," she said, looking down at Ailnim. She wondered
how the Lord Holder would take it - if he would think the "you"
related to him and his wife, or just to himself.

"Who doesn't?" Obviously Zathris had thought Lyranel meant the boy,
whom he flipped over his shoulder then practically threw into the air.
"We should have a picnic together sometime Ailn. What do you think
of that?"

Ailnim clapped his hands together, while bouncing on his uncles lap.
"Pik-a-nik!" He said in singsong fashion.

"I assume that's a yes," Lyranel said, a warm smiling filling her face
as she watched the child. The more she interacted with Ailnim, the
more she wanted a child of her own.

"We'll have to arrange it then." Perhaps Benani would like to join
them, enjoy some time with Ailnim. "How about next rest day?"

"That sounds perfect," Lyranel said. "Come on, Ailnim, Uncle Zathris
has work that he needs to do, let's allow him to get back to work."
She stood up, and walked towards Zathris to collect the two turn old
from his lap.

Zathris gave the little man a bear hug, then passed him over. "Thanks
for bringing him again. We may have to make this a regular
occurrence. It's a nice break."

"Certainly," Lyranel said. "Outside of caring for Ailnim, I don't have
too much that needs to be done, so just summon us when you need a
moment off to relax." She stood up, curtsying respectfully to the Lord
Holder.
"I will do that." Zathris agreed amiably. He was going to have to
make sure those visits were a part of his normal sevenday routine. It
was a nice distraction, if only for a while.

Last updated on the August 26th 2011

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Visiting Uncle Zathizzzz